Antimicrobial Additives for the Creation of Functional Polymer Materials for Various Applications

Creation of the functionalized polymeric materials with additional properties is an important area of research. In this review the prospects are discussed related to imparting antimicrobial properties to polymers for further use of materials in the field of medicine, packaging products, hygiene and agricultural products, and other branches of industry. Based on the results of the assessment of existing methods, it is shown that the most technically simple approach is the introduction of an antimicrobial additive into the bulk of the polymer during its processing, which allows to avoid additional processing steps for the finished products. However, this approach is inexpedient from the point of view of saving the additive, which, as a rule, performs its functions only on the surface of the polymer products. Surface treatment of the finished polymer products with antimicrobial agents (coatings) is most preferable from the point of view of saving expensive additives. Among the antimicrobial additives used, inorganic substances (metals and their compounds), as well as organic and organometallic substances, including antibiotics, can be distinguished. As a rule, additives of natural origin, which are a mixture of substances, are distinguished into a separate group. According to the conducted analysis of the antimicrobial additives used, it is established that the inorganic antimicrobial additives are the most versatile for modifying various polymers. They can be used in the form of nanosized particles, which virtually eliminates their effect on the performance properties of the polymeric materials. In addition, the additives of inorganic nature have a high chemical and thermal stability, and therefore are suitable for introducing into the polymer melt at the stage of its processing. Organic and organometallic substances are, as a rule, more sensitive to high temperatures, which limits their use as additives in the polymeric materials. However, they are more effective against pathogenic microorganisms.